Fire-alarm attachment



.1. SCHNEIDERMAN.

FIRE ALARM ATTAcHMENT. APPLICATIQN FILED M'AY 5, l9r9.

1 y,425,797. Patented Aug.l 15, 1922.

WJTNESSES ATTORNEY.

JOHN sonnrirnnnraen; or suenen. rows.

FIRE-ALARME ATTACHIlE-NT.

Specification of Letters lPatent. giijfetiijti fitug., 159 1922.

Application filed May 5, 191i?. Serial No. 294,516.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN SorrNnmnnMAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at George, in the county of Lyon and State of lowahave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Alarm Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to attachments for lire alarms and has for its principal object the productionof a structure` which will catch the hand of the person turning in such an alarm, thus holding the person until proper authorities arrivewho can release the hand of such person, whereby a person who fraudulently turnsin the false alarm will be easily trapped.

Another object of this invention is an attachment for hre alarm boxes, wherein a retaining plate is releasably held in a set position to catch a hand which turns in an alarm, since the turning in of the alarm will manually operate the trip mechanism, thus releasing the plate and allowing tbe same to move to a position to engage the hand of the operator, while means are provided for holding the plate against return from such a released position.

hereinafter described and is illustrated in the drawing, in whic 4 Figure 1 is a front elevation of the fire alarm box showing the casing ofthe attachment mounted thereon. y. i

Figure 2 is a side elevationof the device. Figure 3 is a verticalsection through the casing and portions of the invention thereof illustrating several portions of the trap.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, about to be described, 5 in-` dicates in general the ordinary re alarm box having the usual closure 6. A box housing 7 has the usual key 8 extending thereinto, whereby when the lrey is turned the closure 6 may be released in order to allow the re alarm to be turned in, although the key 8 may be used in combination with such a device as when it is turned an alarm will be turned in. As above suggested, it is the object of this invention to reduce the tendency of parties turning in false alarms, since the structure will catch the party turning in the alarm and retain the party until proper authorities arrive who can release such a person.

The trap casing comprises a ywall 9 which is fixed upon the closure `6 of the box 5 in any suitable manner. rEhe side walls 10 are y provided witlijfa front wall 11, while the bottom 12 is provided ortlie casing.

he cover 13 is hingedly mounted as indicated at le upon one of the side walls and has i'ianges 15 thereon for formingsa weatherv tight closure at the upper portion' of ,the casing, A suitable lockingarrangement as indicated in generalat 16 `is provided for holding the cover 13 ina closed vposition.

The vfront'wall 11 is providedwith an opening thereinsurrounded by the cup 17. This cup 1'? Iextends into'the casing indirect alignment with the key 8, wherebyl a person may insert bis vhandthrough the cup 17 and engage the'lrey and turn the same when an alarm is to be turned in, or when the closure 6 is to be opened for permitting oi theturning in of such `an alarm.

rlhe retaining pla-te 18 extends transi versely across the casing as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and the pivot pinf`19y passes through the plate 18 adjacent one end thereofand the pm 19'` is carried bythe side walls 10, thus piffotallyk supporting the platelS;` l"

.L1 strip of felt 2O or other suitable material `One practical form oi' constructien and t assembly of the present'invention will be is xed upon the oppositelower edge of the plate 18, whereby when the plate moves into casing it will not injure thehand.

la position to catchthe hand `inserted in I the The supporting arm 21 isiixedl in any" desired. manner onthe plate18fa'nd has a weight 22 thereon, thus urging the plate into a firm engagementwiththehandof the wrist insertedV into the casing.

In order tor hold the plate y18 `inaset posibetween one end' of the lever 24 and they cover 13 to firmly hold the claw in engagementwith the section 27. v f The opposite end of the latch lever supports a connecting link 30, the opposite end of this-,link- 3() being connected to the shank 31 extending fromv the key 8. i

A curvedrack bar 32 extendsl `from the retaining plate 18 and has a rack 33 thereon. This rack bar extends intothe rack `sleeve. 34C carried by the cover 13. The rack sleeveA 34 is arcuate to conform to the curvature or" the rack bar 32. The pawl 85 is nedv upon the outer portion of the rack sleeve 34rand has a bent end 36 lying in the path of movement of the rack 33 on the bar 32.

lWhen this device in use, it will be to assume the position shown Ain Figure However, when a person inserts his hand and wrist through the cuff 17 to grip and turn the key 8, to open the closure 6 when an alarm is to he turned in, or to dii-eet the turning in of the alarm by turning the l: y 8, the shank 3l will be swung to one side thus drawing upon the linlr 30. fis the link 30 is moved downwardly it will swing the lever 2li upon its pivot, thus moving they claw 26 Jfrom'engagement with the pro]` tion 27, whereby due to the force of fd' the plate 18, as well as the arm il weight 22 will move downwardly to the position indicated in dotted lines iii-Figure 3, thus catching the hand of the person as shownin the ligure just reierredto. it will be impossible tor such person to move the plate back from such a sprung position, since the rack bar 32 will have been retracted for a considerable distance trom the rack sleeve Sli and the pawl 85 will prevent such rearward movement. rifhus the party turningin the alarm will he caught and he cannot release himself, although the felt will prevent injuryto such persons hand. When the proper authorities have arrived, they can release the locking' arrangement shown at 16 and the cover may be lifted to cause'the plate 18 to disengage the persons hand extending through the Cup i7, wheroby such person will be treed. l At this timethe plate 18 upwardly, by the raising of he pawl 35 to permit the raolr bar to move into the sleeve. The 'claw 26 may then be latohed in engagement with the projection 27, thus holding the plate in a set condition.

may be sn'un lt will thus be seen that an attachment is provided for the closure ot a iire alarm, which is in a set condition to oatch a persons hand inserted to turn in the alarm. However, it will be noted that the retaining plate will not injure the hand, but is provided with an efficient means tor preventing` unauthorized disengagement Jfrom the hand, although the authorized party may easily remove the plate and again set the same in position lor future use.

The foregoing description 'and the drawf ings have reference to what may he considered the preferred, or approved torni oit my invention. it is to bel understood that l may malte such changes in construction and arrangement and combination oi: parts, materials., dimensions, et cetera, as may proveexpedient and tall within the scope of the appended claima l Having thus fully described my'invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-zyThe combination of a casing having an opening therein an alarm mechanism 3rojecting in the casing, a retaining p ate pivoted at its upper edge above the, opening in said easing and adapted to. swing vertically, an arm extending laterally from said retaining plate, a weight carried by the end ,et the arm, a latch lever pivotally mounted within the casing, and engaging the weight for holding the retaining plate in a raised position, a Connection between said lever and said alarm mechanism whereby the lever is operated when the alarm mechanism is actuated, and means for retaining the retaining alate in a lowered closed'position. In 'testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.- i JOHN SCHNEIDERMAN.

l/Vitnesses C. C. CRAWFORD,-

H. D. AYKENS. 

